Facebook is testing Messenger ads around the world

The company said on Tuesday Messenger ads would be available around the world through an expansion of its current tests. The new image ads will appear in the home tab of the Messenger app. If a user clicks on the ad, it will direct them to an off-platform location of the advertiser’s choosing. A select group of advertisers would be allowed to purchase the ads today, with the capability being added to more companies over the next few weeks.

Facebook began testing Messenger homepage ads in January in Australia and Thailand. More than 1.2 billion people use Messenger every month, according to Facebook. The company told CNBC last September it was looking to monetize Facebook Messenger and What’s App, where it was seeing users naturally interacting with businesses.

Businesses can also pay for sponsored messages, which are paid messages sent to users who previously had a conversation with the company.